Thoracic Surgery Treats Variety of Conditions, Including Lung Cancer

Valley Health treats conditions of the thorax, including lung cancer, hiatal hernias, gastroesophageal reflux (severe, chronic heartburn) and masses in the lungs and chest.

The thorax is the area of the body below the neck and above the bottom of the ribcage. Valley Health’s Percival Buenaventura, MD, performs most of these procedures with minimally invasive techniques such as robotic surgery and video-assisted thoracic surgery.

“Smaller incisions and better visualization make these surgeries safer and more precise than open surgery,” he says. “Patients feel less pain afterward. Recovery is shorter and easier. There is less downtime. Instead of being in bed for weeks, you’re up and out and back to your normal life.”

General thoracic surgery does not include the heart and blood vessels.

Lung Cancer and Low-dose CT

Much of Dr. Buenaventura’s work focuses on lung cancer—the second-most common cancer in both men and women in the U.S. and the leading cause of cancer deaths.

“Half of my work involves cancer of the lungs and esophagus—the tube that carries food from the mouth to the stomach,” he says. “And 95 percent of that is lung cancer.” Surgery can be an effective treatment option for early stage lung cancer and, when appropriate, can offer higher survival rates than other treatments, according to the American Lung Association. Surgery can involve removal of a small section of the lung or an entire lung.

“About 20 percent of lung cancers can be treated for a cure,” Dr. Buenaventura says. “That’s why the earlier you catch lung cancer, the higher the likelihood of curing it.”

Smoking is a major risk factor for lung cancer. Screening with a low-dose computed tomography (CT) scan can find lung cancer in its earliest, most treatable stages for smokers at high risk. “This is an easy, painless and safe five-minute test, but many people are not aware of it,” Dr. Buenaventura says.

Low-dose CT screening for lung cancer is available at all Valley Health hospital imaging locations and Winchester Imaging. It is recommended for current and former smokers ages 50 to 80 with a 20 pack-year history. That means you now or in the past smoked one pack a day for at least 20 years, or more packs for a shorter time, such as two packs a day for 10 years.

Whether or not you have smoked, talk to your doctor right away if you have symptoms that could be an early warning sign for lung cancer such as a chronic cough, coughing blood and/or unexplained weight loss. “Nonsmokers can also develop lung cancer, particularly older, postmenopausal women,” Dr. Buenaventura notes.

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For more information, visit valleyhealthlink.com/VHCS. If you want to learn more about low-dose lung CT screenings, ask your doctor or call the Valley Health nurse lung navigator at 844-532-8669. More information about low-dose lung CT is also available at valleyhealthlink.com/LDCT.